Amazon to sell unprotected music
,----[ Quote ]
| Amazon has announced plans to launch a digital music store that
| will allow customers to download music without any digital
| copying protection.
|
| [...]
|
| DRM has long been a controversial technology, both within the music
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| industry and in the music-listening population at large.
|
| [...]
|
| Similarly, music locked with Microsoft's DRM system Windows Media can
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| only be played on Windows PCs or Windows Media-compatible players, and
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| can rarely be copied elsewhere.
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6662439.stm
^^^
Ironically, it's the BBC that took its new pal's advice (Microsoft) and
decided to make use of Microsoft DRM. Does the BBC read the articles it
publishes? This is outrageous. Many relevant links below.
The Sound of Copy Restrictions Crashing
,----[ Quote ]
| The idea of ditching "digital rights management" for music
| downloads is rapidly changing from dream to business reality --
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| and faster than anybody might have hoped.
`----
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051602762.html
http://tinyurl.com/2jubbj
Related:
BBC gets TV on-demand service OK [But only if you use Windows]
,----[ Quote ]
| Earlier this month BBC Future Media boss Ashley Highfield said
| the corporation was committed to rolling out the iPlayer on Windows
| PCs first of all, and then cable TV services, Apple Macs, and
| eventually Freeview boxes.
|
| But the BBC said it could not commit to a two-year deadline to
| achieve this goal, saying it was up to the third parties concerned.
|
| However, the BBC Trust said it would audit the BBC's progress
| against this objective every six months to ensure that members
| of the public not using Windows PCs would not be disadvantaged.
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6607083.stm
Avoid the Vista badge, it means DRM inside
,----[ Quote ]
| The root of this crappy DRM infection is Microsoft. It is the driving
| force here. This has nothing to do with protecting content, as we
| keep pointing out, there has never been a single thing that has had
| a DRM infection applied that didn't end up cracked on the net in
| hours. DRM is about walled gardens and control.
|
| He who controls the DRM infection controls the market. DRM is
| about preventing you from doing anything with the devices
| without paying the gatekeeper a fee. This is what MS wants,
| nothing less than a slice of everything watched, listened to
| or discussed from now on. DRM prevents others from playing
| there, thanks to the DMCA and other anti-consumer laws.
|
| Make no mistake, MS is pushing the DRM malware as hard as
| it can so it can rake in money hand over fist with no
| competition. It is really good at lock-in, in fact, the firm
| based its entire business model on harming the user so they
| have to comply and spend more.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38926
Microsoft Tells Apple To Stop Complaining About DRM
,----[ Quote ]
| "At the same time I wouldn?t go as far as Steve Jobs did and suggest
| that everything is the fault of the record labels," added Smith.
| "People who produce content and who own the rights to that content
| deserve the opportunity to make their own decisions about how theyw
| ant to provide that content to the public," added Smith.
`----
http://www.podcastingnews.com/2007/04/13/microsoft-apple-drm/
Microsoft: We Like DRM
,----[ Quote ]
| Steve Jobs wants the music business to drop restrictions for digital
| tunes. But Microsoft, which began competing head to head with Apple
| in the digital music business last fall, is happy with the way things
| are, says media exec Robbie Bach.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/08/zune-drm-itunes-tech-media-cx_df_0208bach.html?partner=yahootix
http://tinyurl.com/2lrz3y
Why Microsoft will fight for DRM
,----[ Quote ]
| In a DRM-free world Windows Media formats are basically dead.
| Online stores locked out of the iPod because of FairPlay. Will
| not choose to lock themselves out by using only Windows Media if
| they use it at all. I think it?s obvious that the people at
| Microsoft know that. When the number one MP3 player will never
| support your format, Microsoft is left with a lot invested in
| something that won?t amount to much. The only way Microsoft
| can save its investment in Windows Media is to have a DRM
| Windows Media player that is a run away success. This is why
| Microsoft will not join with Apple in calling for a DRM-free
| world. They need DRM so they are going to fight for it.
`----
http://km.lqz.ca/blog/tech/microsoft-fight-drm/
Microsoft launches 'PlayReady' DRM system
,----[ Quote ]
| Although digital rights management (DRM) is popular with content
| creators, it has attracted criticism. Sony was widely attacked after
| using a rootkit-like application to hide content protection on some
| music CDs, and earlier this month Apple CEO Steve Jobs called on
| the music industry to drop its use of DRM.
`----
http://news.com.com/2100-1039_3-6158553.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news
Golden Rant : Microsoft DRM's gone too far
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft appears to have hit the wrong button on its critical
| Windows XP download service late last month, pretty well forcing
| every XP user to upgrade to Windows Media Player (WiMP) 11 if
| they (like me and many others) have the automatic download/install
| option enabled for critical updates.
`----
http://securityblog.itproportal.com/?p=712
The Longest Suicide Note in History
,----[ Quote ]
| Gutmann: The genie's out of the bottle before the operating system has even
| been released! But that doesn't mean Vista users in particular - and
| the computer community at large - won't end up paying for Microsoft's
| DRM folly. At the risk of repeating myself repeating myself, yet
| another reason to move to Linux.
`---- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://blogs.pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/tux-love/2007/01/the_longest_suicide_note_in_hi.html
DRM in Windows Vista
,----[ Quote ]
| Windows Vista includes an array of "features" that you don't want.
| These features will make your computer less reliable and less secure.
| They'll make your computer less stable and run slower. They will
| cause technical support problems. They may even require you to
| upgrade some of your peripheral hardware and existing software.
| And these features won't do anything useful. In fact, they're
| working against you. They're digital rights management (DRM)
| features built into Vista at the behest of the entertainment
| industry.
|
| And you don't get to refuse them.
`----
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/02/drm_in_windows.html
BBC and IBM Create Strategic Alliance to Embrace the Digital Future
,----[ Quote ]
| Ashley Highfield, BBC Director of Future Media & Technology, said:
| "This alliance with IBM will offer new and genuinely innovative
| services to our audiences. For example, combining the BBC's massive
| TV and radio archive with IBM's cutting-edge research into video
| and audio search technology should provide the means to unlocking
| huge latent value in our long tail of content."
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070305/0222604.htm
BBC strikes Google-YouTube deal
,----[ Quote ]
| Several large US broadcasters, including CBS, NBC and Fox,
| already have similar agreements with YouTube.
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6411017.stm
BBC and YouTube in Deal Talks
,----[ Quote ]
| The BBC and YouTube are in the process of striking a deal between
| themselves, allowing BBC content to be available on Google-owned
| YouTube, the world?s largest and most popular video sharing service.
`----
http://www.techsmessage.com/2007/02/21/bbc-and-youtube-in-deal-talks/
YouTube deal with CBS unravels
,----[ Quote ]
| A deal between Google and CBS that would let YouTube users watch
| clips from CBS shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman,
| has unraveled, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6160895.html
Apple Users Petition Prime Minister
,----[ Quote ]
| UK Apple users are petitioning the Prime Minister Tony Blair over the
| BBC's decision to make streaming media available to Windows users
| only. The BBC plans to launch an on-demand tv service which uses
| software that will only be available to Windows users.
`----
http://www.digmo.co.uk/misc/apple-users-petition-prime-minister/
Save the BBC from Windows DRM!
,----[ Quote ]
| Clearly, shutting out 25% of your audience sits ill with the BBC's
| remit of serving all of its users...
|
| There is no denying that this is an extremely difficult area for
| the BBC, since it must negotiate not one but three minefields -
| those of technology standards, copyright and contract law. But
| there are still things that it could do without turning into a
| global advertisement for Microsoft's flawed DRM approach.
`----
http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/1000183
Corporate Fight Against Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| Remember during the Dot Com boom when sites used to display which
| browser you should use in order to best utilize their website?
| Quaint, annoying and even a little narrow minded. Those of us who
| have been yearning for a blast from the past will be thrilled to
| learn that Wal-Mart is apparently doing this in the year 2007.
| Wait, it gets better...
`----
http://www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2468&Itemid=449
,----[ Quote ]
| From: Bill Gates
| Sent: Saturday, December 05, 1998 9:44 AM
| To: Bob Muglia (Exchange); Jon DeVaan; Steven Sinofsky
| Cc: Paul Mariz
| Subject: Office rendering
|
| One thing we have got to change is our strategy -- allowing Office
| documents to be rendered very well by OTHER PEOPLES BROWSERS is one of the
| most destructive things we could do to the company.
|
| We have to stop putting any effort into this and make sure that Office
| documents very well depends on PROPRIETARY IE capabilities.
|
| Anything else is suicide for our platform. This is a case where Office has
| to to destroy Windows.
`----
http://edge-op.org/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/2000/PX02991.pdf
BBC plans to lock viewers into Microsoft monopoly says Open Source Consortium
,----[ Quote ]
| The Open Source Consortium (OSC) believes the plans are anti-competitive
| and will use public money to lock viewers into the technologies of
| a repeatedly convicted monopolist.
`----
http://www.publictechnology.net/article_avantgo.php?sid=7655
Beeb slammed for 'fawning' to Bill Gates
,----[ Quote ]
| BBC viewers have flooded the corporation with complaints over how it
| covered the launch of Microsoft Vista earlier this week.
|
| In one cringingly servile interview worthy of Uriah Heep, the
| Beeb's news presenter Hugh Edwards even thanked Gates at the
| end of it, presumably in appreciation at being allowed to give
| the Vole vast coverage for free.
|
| In other TV news items presenters excitedly explained how Vistac
| ould be obtained and installed - details courtesy of the BBC's
| website.
|
| But British viewers, currently forced to pay a £131.50 licence
| fee to maintain the BBC's "impartiality", were less than impressed.
|
| Scores got in touch to complain that so much was Auntie up Bill's
| bum that you could barely see her corset.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37411
http://slated.org/bbc_microsoft_bias
Brits! Act now to save the BBC from Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| The BBC are holding an open consultation regarding how they're
| going to delivery on-demand content, they want answers to
| questions like: "How important is it that the proposed seven-day
| catch-up service over the internet is available to consumers who
| are not using Microsoft software?"
`----
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/31/brits_act_now_to_sav.html
Beeb breaks out with Windows WMA protection
,----[ Quote ]
| According to a press release from Sonos, the blokes over
| at the Beeb have decided to jump ship for relying on
| Realplayer for web content, and have switched over
| entirely to the Windows-friendly WMA format. Now
| that the BBC has made The Big Switch, BBC radio
| stations will be received automatically for users
| of wireless music and radio provider Sonos.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35282
BBC Looks To Microsoft For Web 2.0
,----[ Quote ]
| However, you don't sign deals or commitments if you're a quasi-autonomous
| Public Corporation operating as a public service broadcaster, as the BBC
| is. BBC Director General Mark Thompson met Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates
| in Seattle on Wednesday to sign the non-exclusive memorandum of
| understanding and discuss the BBC's digital strategy.
`----
http://www.forbes.com/2006/09/28/bbc-microsoft-internet-cx_cn_0928bbc.html?partner=yahootix
http://tinyurl.com/j5pn7
|
|